Brisbane never built the sort of stands of terraces that exist in Melbourne and Sydney, however some significant examples remain.

Brisbane Terrace Houses Map

Distribution

Brisbane’s few terraces are mostly clustered in the Central Business District on George Street and ”Petrie Terrace” on Petrie Terrace with a handful of singular rows in the inner suburbs of Milton, Spring Hill, Woolloongabba, New Farm and West End.  There are some quite convincing replica Melbourne style terraces along Gregory Terrace in Brisbane.

Regional Variation

While some of the terraces built in Brisbane around 1886 mirrored the styles of Melbourne, most examples which survive notably differ in style to terraces in other Australian cities in that as a regional variation incorporating elements of the “Queenslander” house style.  In particular the use of galvanised iron high pitched or hip roof as a dominant and practical design element is notable.

History

Attached building was disfavoured outside of government buildings, and in fact legislated against by the Undue Subdivision of Land Prevention Act 1885. Enacted as a public health and anti-slum measure, this act set a minimum frontage of about 10 metres for each residential block, thus effectively ending  the building of terraces, although a few terraces were built as a single rental project, were not subdivided, and managed to bypass the legislation.

Nostalgic replicas became popular in Brisbane in the 1980s and 1990s in mock Victorian style in attempt by developers to appeal to wealthy interstate migrants.

Significant Brisbane Terrace Houses

• The Mansions
• Petrie Mansions
• Harris Terrace
• Cooks Terrace

Shade Sails Brisbane

References